Signaling device



JOHN M. WENZEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS.

SIGNALING- DEVICE.

Application :filed June 5,

ToaZZ whom it may concern =Be it known that 1, JOHN M. WENZEL, a citizen of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and usetul Improvements in Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention :relates :to electrically opcrated door .releasers ct'or apartment houses whereby it is made possible to release .the main entrance door of the house from any one of the apartments without the. occupants thereof leaving the same and going to the doorLto unlatch it.

The invention has :for its object to :provide an apparatus of the kind stated, a signal devicewhich will indicate to the occupants o't' the apartments whether the .re-

'leaser .has properly functionedto efi'ect re lease of the door, and Whether the person at thedoor has gained entrance or :not.

The object stated is attained by means "of a combination and arrangement of :parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and

in-order that the samemay be better understood, referenceis had-to the accompanying drawing, wherein the invention is .illustrated diagrammatically.

Referring specifically .to the drawing, 5 denotes the main entrance door of a building containing a number of apartments. This door is provided with an electrically operated releasing device vwherebythe door may be; released from any one of the apartments without the occupants leaving the same and going to the door. This is a well,

known apparatus and hence a detailed de scription thereof is not necessary. It may be stated, however, that the door releasing mechanism is operated by an elect-ro-magnet which is shown at 6. This magnet is interposed in an energizing circuit, and the current source may be a battery 7 or a transformer. One side of the current source is connected by a conductor 8 to one of the terminals of the magnet, and to the other terminal of the magnet is'connected a conductor 9 which leads to a switch 10 located in the apartment remote from the door. From this switch a. conductor 11 leads to the other side of the current source. The switch may be of any preferred type, the conductor 9 being connected to the stationary contact 12, and the conductor 11 to the movable contact 13 of the switch. The circuit is normally open, and when it is closed 1922. Serial No. 565,622.

by operating the switch 10,. the magnet 6 is energized, wh ereupon the release of the door 5 takes place, so that the person seeking entrance may [open the same. f

To the energizingcircuit oi the door releaser is connected abranch circuit in which is interposed a signal, suchas a small laanp 14. the conductor 8, as shown at 15, and the other terminal [is wired, as shown at 1,6, to the contact 12so as to "be engageable also by the switch member '18. It will therefore be seen that both circuitsarecontrol'led by the switch .10.

The branch circuit .in which the signal 1 1 is interposed is normally open at the switch 10, and it is also provided iwitha circuit closer which is controlled ibythezdoor 5. :Thiscircuit closer is-a contact .18 adapt ed to bridge a gap in the line 115 when the door5 is opened, said line having contacts 19 .at the gap. When the rdoor is closed, the electrical connection is broken. In the line 9, between :the magnet 6" and it-he switch contact 12 is also a gap, with contacts 20, thereat, :thesecontacts beingopp'osite :the contact 18. The-contacts :19 areon one side of the contact 18, and the contacts 20 are on the opposite side. Thus, the contacts l9 and .20 are alternately engageable to the contact 18, the latter normally bridging the contacts 20. Theicontact i18is'in position to ibridge the contacts .20 when the door 5 is closed, and it rmoves (away from the contacts 20 to ibridgethe contacts =19 when the door opens. I

The operation of the apparatus may be summarized as follows:

Upon closing of the switch 10, the blade 13 moves over into engagement with the contact 12. This closes the energizing circuit of the magnet 6, and the release of the door 5 takes place. l/Vhen the door is opened, the circuit in which the signal 14: is interposed is also closed, and the signal is displayed as long as the switch 10 is held closed. The display of the signal 14 of course indicates to the occupant of the apartment that the door has opened, and that the door release-r has therefore prop- One terminal of the lamp is-wired to erly functioned. A failure to obtain a sigand over to the contacts 19, However the signal i l continues to be displayed as long as the switch 10 is held closed and the contacts l8 and 19 touch. The apparatus therefore eliminates waste of electric current from unnecessary operation of the door releaser, and it is convenient and does away with all guess work as to whether the person at the door has gained entrance or not.

The drawing shows the switch and signal apparatus of one apartment only, but it will be understood that all the apartments of the building will be similarly equipped. The signal let need not be a light, but it can be a bell, buzzer or any other electroresponsive signal device.

I claim:

1. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, an energizing circuit therefor, and a controlling switch; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit, and controlled by the aforesaid switch, and a signal device and a door-controlled circuit closer interposed in the branch circuit.

2. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, and an energizing circuit therefor; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit, a signal device and a door controlled circuit closer interposed in the branch circuit, a switch contact to which the branch circuit and one side of the energizin circuit are connected, and a movable switch member adapted to engage said contact, to which switch member the other side of the energizing circuit is connected.

3. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, an energizing circuit therefor, and a controlling switch; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit and controlled by the aforesaid switch, and a signal device and a door-controlled circuit closer interposed in the branch circuit, said circuit closer being operated by the opening of the door with which the releasing device is associated.

4. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, an energizing circuit therefor, and a controlling switch; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit, and controlled by the aforesaid switch, a signal device interposed in the branch circuit, and door-controlled circuit closers interposed in both circuits and operating to close the branch circuit when the door opens, and simultaneously therewith to cut out the door-releasing device.

5. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, and an energizing circuit therefor; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit, a signal device interposed in the branch circuit, door-controlled circuit-closers interposed in both circuits and operating to close the branch circuit when the door opens, and simultaneously therewith to cut out the door-releasing device, a switch contact to which the branch circuit and one side of the energizing circuit are connected, and a movable switch member adapted to engage said contact, to which switch member the other side of the energizing circuit is connected.

6. The combination with an electrically operated door-releasing device, an energizing circuit therefor, and a controlling switch; of a branch circuit connected to said energizing circuit, and controlled by the aforesaid switch, a signal device interposed in the branch circuit, and door-controlled circuit closers for both circuits, and operating by the opening of the door to close the branch circuit, and simultaneously there with to cut out the door-releasing device.

In testimony whereof I allix my signa ture.

JOHN Mt WENZEL. 

